Saving the Malayan tiger will require far more than public awareness campaigns, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) warned, as the species’ population has fallen to fewer than 150.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said Malaysia cannot credibly position itself as a leader in global environmental protection while failing to protect one of its most iconic national symbols.
Calling the situation both a conservation emergency and a national crisis, he said the tiger’s potential extinction would not be due to a lack of knowledge, but a failure to take sufficient action.
“This crisis has been decades in the making,” Mohideen said in a statement.
He pointed to extensive habitat loss caused by land conversion for agriculture, housing and development, as well as roads cutting through forest reserves that have opened once-remote areas to logging, settlement and increased human-wildlife conflict.
Poaching and illegal wildlife trade remain major threats, he added. Between 2023 and 2024, six Malayan tigers were killed in vehicle collisions, while in one case last year, a tiger carcass with six bullet wounds to the head was discovered hidden in a car trunk.
Mohideen said the illegal trade in tiger skins, teeth and claws continues, with tiger parts still being sold online through e-commerce platforms.
He also highlighted prey depletion as a growing problem, noting a rise in illegal hunting in 2024. Species such as deer, mouse deer and hornbills — crucial to forest ecosystems and tiger survival — are being hunted for consumption or kept as exotic pets.
While acknowledging the efforts of non-governmental organisations, indigenous communities and enforcement agencies, Mohideen questioned whether Malaysia could realistically achieve its target of increasing the Malayan tiger population to 400 by 2030.
“Forests are not merely land for development, but essential life-support systems,” he said.
“As long as biodiversity is undervalued and short-term economic priorities dominate policy decisions, the Malayan tiger will remain on the path to extinction.”
